Drone delivery system developer Matternet is partnering with Dave’s Hot Chicken to launch a drone delivery pilot, a first for the fast-casual chain. The service will debut in Northridge, a Los Angeles suburb, where eligible residents will be able to order Dave’s Hot Chicken through the Dave’s app and receive it directly to their homes via Matternet’s autonomous M2 drones.

“Each day, more than 10 million food deliveries move through our cities in 2-ton cars, adding traffic and pollution,” said Andreas Raptopoulos, founder and CEO of Matternet. “Drones will replace millions of those trips — delivering meals faster, cleaner, and with no human contact beyond the restaurant and the customer. Our partnership with Dave's shows the future of food delivery.”

Orders will be prepared at Dave’s Northridge Reseda location and delivered to approved homes in Northridge. The partnership builds on Matternet’s successful home delivery service in Silicon Valley, which has been operating since October 2024.

“Innovation is part of our DNA at Dave’s Hot Chicken,” said Leon Davoyan, chief technology officer of Dave’s Hot Chicken. “By using drones, we’re delivering our food in a way that takes it straight from the kitchen to our loyal customers’ hands.”

Source: Matternet